Letter: Mental health support

I spent 34 years of my career teaching at Cooper Middle School in Buffalo Grove. During that time, I saw more than a few students struggle with mental health and substance use challenges. From time to time, one of our students would be hospitalized in the psychiatric ward at a local hospital. All too often, they would return to class not much better than before, having been discharged because their health insurance ran out. Sadly, some of my former students died by suicide or drug overdose.

It was not just students who were living with these difficluties, but oftentimes parents as well.

And while the services Districts 21 and 214 provided for students with developmental disabilities were excellent, once they aged out of the public schools, they often had to wait five years or more to get assistance from the state.

It is clear that we need more supportive services for people living with mental health, and substance use challenges or developmental disabilities, both for children and adults.

So, I hope all of my former students and their parents who still live in the area - and everyone else as well - will vote yes this November on the referendum to create a Community Mental Health Board in Wheeling Township. If the referendum passes, the new board, appointed by the township supervisor, will have a small taxing authority, subject to the approval of the township board, to raise funds to provide more of these services for residents of the township.

And more are certainly needed.

There are similar referendums on the ballot in nearby Vernon and Schaumburg townships, and in Addison, Lisle, Naperville and Winfield townships in DuPage County.

I am hoping for a resounding yes in Wheeling Township and the other townships on the mental health referendums this November.

Hugh Brady

Inverness